Winfrey's 'Mr. Man' an Obama campaign worker

The mystery man who provided a shoulder of support to Oprah Winfrey during Tuesday's rally has been revealed as Sam Perry, a communications director and fundraiser for Silicon Valley for Obama.

Perry did not immediately return phone calls Thursday, but a Harpo Inc. spokeswoman said the now-famed Perry will appear on Winfrey's show Friday, alongside Frank Rich, the New York Times columnist, and George Stephanopoulos, the ABC newsman.

Perry is a independent investor and corporate development consultant who, according to campaign records, is also a Democratic donor. At Tuesday night's rally, Winfrey seemed to cozy up to Perry, who was standing just in front of her in a VIP section of Hutchinson Field in Grant Park.

More than once during the broadcast, networks beamed live footage of the queen of daytime talk leaning forward and resting her chin on Perry's shoulder. Winfrey's longtime beau Stedman Graham was standing just behind her, apparently not well positioned to lend support.

"When Sam's image came up on the screen, we were like, 'Wow, there's Sam!' " said Wendy Wark, 50, a fellow volunteer with Silicon Valley for Obama. "We had a Silicon Valley for Obama election party at the computer history museum in Mountain View, Calif. There were 1,500 of us there. When [Perry] was on the big screen, there was much joy and elation and cheering. We love Oprah and we think she's amazing."

Perry "was a volunteer like us. Everyone knows him," Wark said.

On Wednesday's live broadcast, Winfrey talked about Perry but didn't mention his name, calling him only "Mr. Man."

"Friends around the country called me and said, 'Who is with you?' " Winfrey said on Wednesday's show. "I go, 'I don't know him.' "

Tamping down any speculation, Winfrey explained that Perry was just a random bystander. "I don't know who this guy is," she said, showing a picture of herself and Perry. "But he was very nice to me. At one point I was just sobbing on his shoulder, mascara everywhere."

She called Tuesday's rally "one of the most electrifying and emotional nights I've ever experienced." Winfrey sent Perry a shout-out, saying, "Thank you, Mr. Man, for letting me cry on your shoulder."